Let's Dance
by alegriavida
Summary: I never thought I'd see the goblin king again, and definitely not in a night club.
1. Chapter 1

I never thought I'd see him again, let alone here. What is the goblin king even doing in a night club? And the worst part? He's with someone. No, that isn't the worst part about this whole situation. The worst part is that I seem to care that he's with someone. And there's no mistake; it's definitely him. I may not have seen him for six years, but I would recognize that face anywhere. Even if he is wearing a human disguise.

How did I let myself get into this situation? It's all Hannah's fault really. She's the one who dragged me here in the first place.

"Come on, Sarah, you never come out with us anymore!"

Yeah, because I have two seminar papers to write. I was the smart one who decided to do a double major.

"It's just one night, and I promise I'll stop asking."

I caved obviously. I figured, hey, why not? I deserve a bit of a break, right? I can have one night of fun, at least. I've been working hard. And yeah, it's been a great night…until I went to the bar to get another drink. I was waiting for the bartender to notice me when I happened to glance toward the entrance. And there he was. Jareth. With a gorgeous blonde on his arm.

Luckily he didn't see me. So now I find myself in the bathroom, not quite sure what to do or what this means. I mean, surely he doesn't just frequent college town night clubs, right? This can't be a coincidence, can it? And yet, he hadn't even glanced toward me. In fact, he had seemed far too interested in the woman he's with. And why not? She's beautiful; I could tell that from one glance. And he looks just as elegant and intimidating as he did when I was 15.

He and whoever that woman is make a perfect pair, her with her short skintight gold dress, and him with his tight black pants and leather (why is it always leather with him?) jacket. His hair is shorter, and the markings over his eyes are gone, but somehow he still looks otherworldly.

I need to do something. I can't just stay in the restroom all night. The attendant is already giving me weird looks for being in here so long. I look in the mirror and take a calm breath. It doesn't matter. He isn't here for me. He doesn't know I'm here. I'll just go find Hannah and the others and tell them I don't feel well and need to go home. There are hundreds of people in this place; there's no way he'll see me.

I brace myself for my quick exit and walk out of the restroom…only to run into blondie.

"Oh dear, I'm terribly sorry. I didn't see you." Her British accent is light and airy, and she seems genuinely apologetic, even though I'm the one who ran into her.

"Um…it's ok. I wasn't really looking where I was going."

She smiles and then looks apologetic again.

"Eh, do you mind…?"

My face flushes as I realize I'm blocking her way to the bathroom, and I quickly move to the side with a mumbled apology. As she disappears into the restroom, I try to compose myself, but my mind keeps reeling from the accidental meeting. That woman is the complete opposite of Jareth. She was so…nice. What was she doing with the arrogant king of the goblins?

Shit! If she's in the restroom, where is he? I look around the club, but I can't see him anywhere. Shit! I have to get out of here. It doesn't take me long to find Hannah.

"Sarah, where have you…Wow you look kind of pale. Are you ok?" she asks.

I shake my head. "I'm not really feeling well. I'm just going to take a cab home, ok?"

"Are you sure? I can come with you."

"No, it's ok. You stay here and have a good time. I'll be fine."

She lets me go without another argument, and I make my way as quickly as possible to the door of the club. I still don't see him anywhere, but that's a good thing, right? If I can't see him, he most likely can't see me.

I really should know better by now.

I make it out the door and into the night air without incident and breath a sigh of relief. It's ok. I made it.

"In such a hurry to leave when I've only just arrived, precious?"

"Shit."


	2. Chapter 2

_I realize it's only been a couple of days since I posted the first chapter, but I've had some free time lately, and I've been having a good time writing this. I wouldn't count on all my chapter updates being this speedy though. _

* * *

If I don't turn around, maybe I'll be lucky, and he'll just go away. But luck isn't really on my side tonight. When he speaks again, his smooth voice comes from right beside my left ear, though I never heard him moving closer.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were less than thrilled to see me."

I spin around to face him, my breathing shallow from the feel of his breath on my neck.

"Y-you…why are you here? Who's that woman you're with?"

I can't stop the second question from tumbling out of my mouth, and I instantly regret it. Why do I even care? Jareth has done nothing but cause me trouble. The smug grin on his face makes me want to slap him.

"My my, Sarah, are you jealous?"

"No! I just…I met her when she was going to the restroom, and she seems far too nice for the likes of _you._"

He throws back his head and laughs. I move back a step, but he quickly closes the distance.

"That's right. I'm the villain, aren't I?"

He looks at me with laughter in his eyes, but there's something more there too that I can't quite place. I give him a look of what I hope is brave determination.

"Well, you play the part so well," I reply. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go home. I have work to do."

He ignores my words and begins to circle me, his eyes roaming over every inch of my body. I'm wearing black skinny jeans and a gold sequin crop top, but the look in his eyes makes me feel completely naked. When he comes back around to face me, I release a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"You're looking well, Sarah. I especially enjoy the glitter," he says.

Of course he does. I glare at him.

"Why are you here?"

He moves closer to me, and I suck in a shallow breath as he puts his hands gently on my waist and leans in conspiratorially to whisper in my ear. The touch of his gloved hands sends an electric shock through me, and I curse my traitorous body for reacting so much to him.

"I'm trying to impress a woman." He steps away again, and grins at my confused frown. "The human world is a bit of a novelty to the Fae. My lovely companion was anxious to come, and I, ever obliging, agreed to bring her. Imagine my surprise when I caught a glimpse of my old adversary."

I can feel my face flushing. What exactly was I expecting? I ignore the little voice in my head that tells me it's disappointment I'm feeling. I won't let myself even consider that thought. I can see in the goblin king's delighted look that my blush hasn't gone unnoticed.

"Oh dear, Sarah. You didn't think I came here to see _you, _did you?"

He is infuriating. But I won't let him make me feel stupid for thinking that maybe he _had_ come for me.

"Well, it's a pretty big coincidence, goblin king. What was I supposed to think?"

He gives me a look of mock pity.

"Oh, poor Sarah. Is this the first time you're discovering that not everything is about you?" His lips turn up in a smug grin at my look of indignation.

"You're an arrogant bastard. Have fun with your _date._" I spit the last word. "I'm sure it'll only be a matter of time before she realizes what an asshole you are."

I turn to walk away, but he grabs my arm and spins me around. The playfulness is gone from his face, replaced by a look so serious, it sends a chill through me. He says nothing for a long moment, only staring intently at me.

"This isn't the last you'll hear from me, Sarah. Now that I've found you again, I fully intend to see more of you," his tone is firm and matter of fact. I open my mouth to speak, but no words will come out, and his look seems to warn me against trying to argue with him.

I don't understand why he would want to see me again after he's just called me his adversary; after I beat him at his own game. When I'd run the Labyrinth, he'd been a proud, over-confidant jerk, and I have every reason to believe he hates me. I can only assume that he wants revenge. The thought makes me shudder…until I remember the last words I spoke to him when I was in his kingdom. I pull my arm angrily from his grasp.

"You have no power over me," I say before spinning around once again and leaving him behind.


	3. Chapter 3

It's only when I've made it back to the apartment and locked the door door that I allow myself to breath a sigh of relief, but it's only a moment before I realize how absurd this situation is. If Jareth wants to get into my apartment, a locked door probably isn't going to stop him. Oh my God, what did I just do? When I said those words again, I saw the look of shock on his face that quickly turned to anger. Great, I made the Goblin King mad at me when he's already planning revenge. Good job, Sarah.

I grab a wool blanket from the linen closet and go to the couch to curl into a ball and read. Maybe Jane Eyre can help me get my mind off of _other_ things. I try not to think about him, but after reading the same sentence seven times, I give up and set the book down. What am I going to do? What is _he _going to do? He might not have power over me, but he's had a lot of time to think of ways around that if he wants to. A million possibilities run through my mind. What if he tries to take Toby again, or someone else I love? Or he could just find ways to make my life a living hell.

I frown and shake my head. No. I won't let him ruin my life. He was probably just saying that to scare me anyway. He's the king of the goblins; surely he has more interesting things to do than terrorize a human. Like entertain his date. A mental image of the two of them pressed together in a kiss pops into my head. In my daydream, she has her arms around his neck, and he slides his hands down her back, pulling her even closer against his body as his tongue dances against hers. I'm not quite sure when the image of the un-named woman turns into myself, but as soon as I realize what I'm thinking, I blush and get up quickly from the couch to pace the room. What the hell am I doing?

I should really just try to go to sleep. There's nothing I can do about this tonight, and I'm actually getting kind of tired. Not that I'll be able to get to sleep with all the thoughts running through my head. After changing into my pajama's and removing my makeup, I crawl into bed and close my eyes.

My alarm clock wakes me at 6 a.m., and I quickly turn it off and try to go back to sleep. It's just my luck that I forgot to turn the damn thing off for the weekend. It took me just as long as I thought it would to get to sleep last night, so I've really only had about four hours. But my mind won't let me fall asleep again, now that I'm awake. I sigh as I climb out of bed and make my way to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee, being as quiet as I can so I don't wake Hannah, asleep on the couch. It looks like she didn't even make it to her bedroom when she got home. She must have been completely sloshed.

The smell of coffee filling the apartment wakes her up eventually, and I hear an annoyed groan from the sofa.

"Sarah, what the fuck time is it?"

I wince as I come into the living room with my cup.

"I'm sorry. I was trying not to wake you up. It's about 6:15," I answer.

"Why in the world are you even awake," she asks. "Oh my God, I have the worst headache. Did you make enough of that for me?"

I laugh and go back to the kitchen to get her a cup. When I come back, she's sitting up on the couch with the blanket wrapped around her. She takes the steaming mug from me, and I take a seat next to her.

"You know, I probably wouldn't have woken you up if you had been sleeping in your own bed…"

She takes a sip of the hot drink before answering me.

"I know, but my friends needed some place to sleep."

I frown at her.

"Your what? There are other people here? Why couldn't they go to their own house?" I'm really not in the mood for guests, especially some of Hannah's crazy friends.

She holds her hand up to stay my questions.

"We were all super drunk, and I thought they were pretty cool people, so I invited them to stay here instead of having to take a cab back to their hotel last night."

"Hannah, did you just meet some random people last night and let them stay at our apartment? What the hell? They could be serial killers!"

"Oh my God, Sarah, calm down. You're so dramatic. Yes, I met them last night, but they're fine. They're super nice, and since we're both still alive, I'd say they aren't serial killers." She answered.

"That's not the point, Hannah! They could have been. Bringing strangers into our home was a dangerous thing to do!" I yell.

"Oh, but we're hardly strangers, Sarah. You and I are old friends."

The voice from Hannah's doorway cuts in, and I jump, surprised to find we have an audience. My surprise quickly turns to alarm when I realize the man leaning against the door frame is Jareth.


	4. Chapter 4

I'm completely caught off guard.

"Jareth? What are you doing here?"

He smirks and crosses his arms. I notice that he still has whatever spell that makes him look human, and he's still wearing the clothes he wore last night, minus the leather jacket.

"I believe your lovely friend already explained that to you, Sarah." he says.

"Wait…you know each other?" Hannah asks. "Well, there you go! See? He's not a stranger after all."

I give her a warning look. While it's not exactly the same, this situation isn't much better than the serial killer scenario. Of all the people my stupid roommate could have brought home with her, why did it have to be Jareth? And it's not like I can explain things to her; 'Hannah, this is the king of the goblins. He's pissed at me and seeking revenge, because I solved his Labyrinth a few years ago after I accidentally wished my baby brother away.' Right. That would go over well. I glare at the man leaning nonchalantly against Hannah's door.

"Well you seem to be sober this morning, so why don't you and your girlfriend get out now."

"Sarah! Don't be rude. He's a guest." Hannah exclaims. Like bringing someone potentially dangerous into our home without consulting me wasn't rude. I hear a yawn from behind Jareth, and his date from last night appears beside him in the doorway.

"Good morning," She says softly. "Thank you so much for letting us stay the night. I hadn't intended to get quite as drunk as I did. It was very nice of you, Hannah." She suddenly notices me. "Oh, hello! You must be Hannah's roommate. I'm Brighid, and this is Jareth."

She looks incredibly well put-together for someone who's just been asleep, and I'm suddenly very aware of how disheveled I must look with my pajamas and bed head. I can feel my cheeks turning red. I have no problem being rude to Jareth, but this woman has honestly done nothing to me, and she seems perfectly nice. I fake a smile and introduce myself.

"It's nice to meet you, Brighid. I'm Sarah. Would you like some coffee?"

"Oh goodness, I don't want to impose any more than we already have," She answers. "We should probably be going."

"Don't be ridiculous, Brighid. She offered. I think it's only polite to accept, don't you?" Jareth asks. I mentally curse him. Of course it wouldn't be that easy to get rid of them.

Hanna pipes up. "Yeah, feel free. We've got some cereal too, if you want any."

"That would be lovely. Thank you," Brighid replies, as she follows Hannah into the small kitchen. I move to follow them, but my arm is suddenly caught by Jareth, and he spins me around.

"I told you I wanted to see you again," he says with a smile. "Don't be too hard on your dear friend, Sarah. She may have been influenced by a bit more than alcohol."

I frown and yank my arm out of his grasp.

"Why don't you just leave us alone? I don't know if any of what you offered me in the Labyrinth was real, but you've obviously moved on," I jerk my head in the direction of the kitchen where Brighid is. For a second he looks surprised, but his expression quickly changes to a mocking smirk.

"Oh Sarah, always taking things for granted. I thought you had learned that things aren't always what they seem," he drawls before leaving me behind to join the girls in the kitchen. What was _that _supposed to mean? I run my fingers through my hair and walk into the kitchen where Hannah and Brighid sit at the table eating cheerios and drinking coffee. Jareth leans against the counter, and I make my way to stand by the sink, as far away from him as I can get. Hannah looks up at me and bites her lip before turning her attention to Jareth. This won't be good.

"So Jareth, how do you and Sarah know each other?" she asks. Shit. I quickly sneak a glance at him, but he's staring right at me with a look of cool amusement.

Brighid looks from me to Jareth with surprise.

"You know each other?"

Jareth nods his head, the stupid smirk never leaving his face.

"Yes. I met her when she was but fifteen. I tutored her." His eyes sparkle as I choke on the coffee I've just taken a drink of.

"Sarah needed a tutor? This Sarah?" Hannah asks doubtfully.

"Oh yes. She had quite a bit to learn, though I'm not certain how much she's retained," he answers. I glare at him, but Hannah doesn't notice. Brighid on the other hand, sees the entire silent exchange. Her brow furrows, and then a look of comprehension comes over her features.

"Sarah…" she says under her breath. "Jareth, is she _that _Sarah?" I give her a look of surprise. Did he tell people about my time in the Labyrinth? Jareth nods.

"She is," he answers quietly. Hannah, always oblivious, laughs.

"You must have made a big impression, Sarah," she says.

"Oh, she certainly did," Jareth concedes. My face goes red, and I'd like nothing more than to disappear. I change the subject instead.

"Um, Brighid, what about _you?_ How did you and Jareth meet?"

The sly smile on her face changes to thoughtfulness.

"Oh I've known him my entire life. My father was his teacher when he was younger. He's the older brother I never had, really." She smiles at him sweetly before turning back to her cereal and taking another bite. I admit, I feel like an idiot. I had assumed that their relationship was romantic, not platonic. I sigh, remembering that old saying; When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me. So _that's _what he'd meant when he said things aren't always what they seem. Well, it certainly _seems _like my cheeks are going to be a permanent shade of red whenever Jareth is around. I try to avoid his gaze, but I can't help stealing a glance and quickly looking away again. He looks just as smug as I thought he would.

He's infuriating. He had purposely made it sound like he was courting her, just to make me feel like an idiot when I found out the truth. I'm intrigued now though. I'm not sure I can picture him as a loving brotherly type of person. I try to imagine him playing peek-a-boo with a little girl version of Brighid, and the mental image brings a small smile to my face.

"Penny for your thoughts, Sarah." Jareth's voice brings me out of my daydream, and I blush again. He doesn't miss a thing.

"Um…what brought you to this town, if you don't mind me asking?" I address my question to Brighid, hoping she'll realize that I'm really asking why they came Aboveground.

"Oh, well, Jareth didn't really want to come, but I was having quite a bad day yesterday, and I convinced him to bring me. I've never been to…a nightclub before," She answers.

"I'm rather glad she _did _convince me," he says, looking at me. I spin around and pull a box of fruit loops out of the cabinet, anything to keep him from seeing my recurring blush. Why do I let him get to me like this? I'd rather he think he has no affect whatsoever on me. In fact, I'd rather he _doesn't _have an effect on me at all. I take a seat at the table beside Brighid and Hannah and poor a bowl of cereal just as Brighid is finishing hers.

"Well Sarah, Hannah, we really do appreciate you letting us stay the night, but I think we should be going," she proclaims. "I've got to be back home soon, and I'm sure Jareth has more important things to be doing than babysitting me." She smiles teasingly at Jareth as she stands.

"Yes, I suppose I have a few duties I need to attend to. If I'm gone too long, things start to get out of hand. My…coworkers can be such monsters at times." I can't hide the small grin his joke brings to my face.

"I bet they can," I reply.

I see them to the door, and after another goodbye, I watch them make their way down the hall, disappearing just as they reach the stairway. When I go back into the kitchen, Hannah gives me an 'I told you so' look.

"See? They were perfectly fine," she says.

I drop into my chair at the table and bury my head in my hands with a groan.


	5. Chapter 5

I don't have a lot of time to think about everything that happened. I still have two papers to work on, and there is no way I'm going to let the goblin king keep me from graduating college. So I get to work and spend the rest of the weekend researching and writing. Pretty soon, Jareth is the farthest thing from my mind. When it comes to being focused and getting things done, I am queen, and I always have been. I imagine that's part of the reason I was able to solve the Labyrinth.

When Monday comes around, I'm feeling confident again. Surely the weekend was just a fluke. Surely Jareth has other things to worry about than me, and he was just bluffing about seeing more of me. Denial is another thing I've always been good at, but I seem to be right in this case. The week passes by normally, and the next. Of course, I still find myself thinking about Jareth. When I'm trying to read or watch tv, I'll realize I haven't caught a single thing that's going on in the story, because my mind is on a certain goblin king. Hannah seems to have forgotten all about him. She's too preoccupied with partying and her equally sociable boyfriend. Honestly, I don't know how that girl has made it through almost four years of college.

The third week after my encounter with Jareth and his friend begins normally. I'm daydreaming during one of my literature classes when I look out the window and notice him sitting on a bench outside the building. He looks like he's waiting for something, and I realize that of course, he's probably waiting for me. Why else would he just happen to be here? I don't know what to do. Should I go talk to him right now? No, I think. I'm not going to leave in the middle of class just because the stupid goblin king is outside. I'll make him wait; I bet he's not used to that. I smile to myself at the thought.

I am going to have to go outside eventually though, and even if I tried to go out the back way, I have a feeling he'd still find me. Why is he here anyway? What does he want? It's almost infuriating how confused he makes me feel every time I see him. When I ran the Labyrinth, he was nothing but a bully…well, most of the time. There were some moments when it seemed there was more to him than that. And then there was our most recent encounter. He hadn't done anything wrong really. And if Brighid was to be believed, he could be perfectly charming and nice when he wanted to be. Maybe I can give him a few minutes after class…just to talk. Maybe he'll finally explain himself.

The class ends a few minutes later, and I make my way down to the building's courtyard where the goblin king sits. His arm rests over the back of the bench, and his legs are stretched out leisurely, crossed at the ankles. I realize with some alarm that he isn't wearing any sort of disguise this time, but no one seems to be paying him any attention. There must be some sort of magic at work here, but I decide not to think about it. As I approach him, he gives me a half-smirk but doesn't make a move otherwise to acknowledge my presence. I sigh, steeling myself for whatever is about to happen, and sit next to him.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

"It's lovely to see you again as well, Sarah."

There's an awkward silence then. At least, it feels awkward to me. He seems to be completely comfortable. I don't really know what to say, so I wait for him to speak again. He sighs and faces me, his expression becoming something inscrutable.

"I wanted to see you again. We never truly got the chance to have a conversation," he explains.

"No, I guess we didn't. But what is there to talk about? I ran your Labyrinth and got my brother back. What else is there?" That was cruel of me, and I know it. Deep down, I think I know why he asked me to stay, but I just can't let myself believe it. He actually looks hurt at my words. Crap, now I've upset the goblin king. But the look only lasts a second before he's back to his normal smug-looking self.

"I think you know there is plenty more to talk about, Sarah. Don't try to lie to me."

I blush, but I'm not sure if it's embarrassment or anger. Or both. Before I can help myself, my thoughts come tumbling out.

"Look, Jareth. I was only 15 years old. I was a kid, for god's sake, and you were terrifying and attractive and yes, I was intrigued. But did you really expect me to choose you over my brother? Did you really think that I wouldn't do the right thing? I didn't even know if you actually meant what you said or if you were just trying to make me lose!"

Jareth blinks before his lips turn up in another smile.

"You were intrigued?"

I look at him disbelievingly.

"Is that really all you got from that?"

He looks at me seriously, his playful expression gone.

"No. I heard every word. And I don't know what I expected, Sarah. Does that surprise you? That I was just as unsure as you were?" His voice is quieter now, almost a whisper. "But never doubt for a moment that my plea for you to stay was sincere. I knew you would have to be the hero, and I wouldn't want anything less from you, but a part of me hoped…" He breaks off his sentence without finishing, and now we're both sitting in uncomfortable silence.

So he really had meant it. He had really wanted me to stay. What does that mean for me? For…us? I have no idea, but suddenly I'm far too overwhelmed to be here. I can't think straight, and even though we're outside, I feel like the world is closing in on me.

"I'm sorry…I need to go." I can't bring myself to look at his face as I stand and walk away, leaving him behind again. 


	6. Chapter 6

My name is Sarah Williams, and I'm always running; running my mouth, running to save my brother, running away from uncomfortable situations like what just happened… I open the door to my bedroom and drop onto the bed with the grace of an elephant, sending a frustrated cry into the pillow. What exactly am I supposed to do about this? The goblin king has a crush on me? Or…loves me? God, that's insane! He's the villain! The villain, the villain, the villain. I might have a crush on the antagonists in some movies, but I wouldn't _actually_ go for the bad guy in real life. Something in my mind is nagging at me that life isn't as black and white as that, that _people_ aren't so simple when it comes to their motives.

And Jareth hasn't been so horrible lately now that I'm not playing his game. A long sigh escapes my throat. He hasn't done anything bad to me, and he hasn't threatened to do anything. But this is the goblin king we're talking about. The man who goes around stealing babies and making people solve next-to-impossible labyrinths. I sit up in bed, a thought coming to my mind. I really don't know anything about the Fae. I don't know why they do what they do. What if being king of the goblins means he _has _to take babies, even if he doesn't want to. Maybe that's why he's being so nice now. I don't know, because I didn't ask. And I had the perfect opportunity a few minutes ago, but of _course_ I had to run away from it.

What happened to me? I don't feel like the Sarah Williams who faced unfathomable magic to save her brother. I bite my lip and think for a while; after a while I realize what I'm going to do, and I hope I won't regret it. Now I just need to psych myself up to actually do it.

Nine o'clock comes around a lot faster than I hoped it would, but I'm ready. I started getting ready the minute I made the decision to do this, but it had taken me forever to decide what to wear. I'm not normally so picky, but when you're planning to call on the king of the goblins, it might pay to look good…especially if he happens to find you attractive. I have to admit as I look into the full-length mirror hanging on my door; I look pretty good. Except for a white blazer with mid-length sleeves, I'm wearing all black, including knee high boots with heels. I've curled my dark hair enough for it to hang in gentle waves, and my makeup is as natural as possible. All in all, I'd say it's a perfect look for facing Jareth.

I've decided not to take any chances; I'm not going to be caught alone with him again until I know for sure what's going on. This meeting's going to be on my terms, so I'm going to a bar. Maybe it's not the classiest place to meet with a king, but there will be plenty of people there, and that's what's important. It'll just be easier to face him if I know there are other people around.

When I get there, I order a drink first. I'm not planning on getting drunk tonight, but a drink might make this a little easier. I find a table a little separate from the crowd and look around. The place isn't packed, since it's a Thursday night, but there are still quite a few people here. When I'm finished with the drink, I take a deep breath…and go to the restroom, then I go to the bar and order another drink before going back to my table. And once I'm back, I don't have any more excuses for not calling on him. I sigh; this might not even work. Maybe he only comes when you're wishing away a kid. But there's really only one way to find out, so I take another deep breath and speak quietly but clearly;

"I wish the goblin king was here with me right now."

Nothing happens. Great, now I feel like a complete idiot.

"Excuse me, did you call?"

I jump a little as suddenly sitting lazily in the chair in front of me is Jareth.

"I…yes, I did. I was just…"

I stop, not sure what to say, and I realize that he's taking in my appearance without any subtlety at all. He looks me up and down, before meeting my eyes again.

"Well, don't you look particularly pleasing tonight, Sarah?"

He speaks slowly, his words almost slurring together.

"Jareth, are you…drunk?"

He laughs before speaking again. "Absolutely not. I've only had a bit of goblin ale. It would take far more to get me intoxicated."

He has no idea that he's completely sloshed. Leave it to Jareth to use such big words when he's drunk. I sigh. We can't have a serious conversation when he's not sober…but maybe I can still ask him some questions. In fact, maybe I can use this to my advantage; he's sure to offer more information now, isn't he?

"I just wanted to ask you some questions."

"Ask away," he says after a short pause.

"Why do you take children?"

He scoffs, as though annoyed by the question.

"Because people wish for it to be done. You of all people should know that, Sarah." I frown.

"But why? Do you do it because you want to, or do you _have _to?" I ask.

He narrows his eyes at me and sits up a bit more in his chair

"There is no magic forcing me to take a wished away child if that's what you're asking. I'm guessing that's not what you wanted to hear, so let me ask you a question. Why do humans wish away children? Even in jest? My people can not have children so easily. It is something many Fae dedicate their lives to, having children. They are a blessing when we do have them, and we would never do something so abominable as wishing for them to be taken away from us. Words are far too powerful. So why do humans do it?"

I take in his words in stunned silence. I've never thought of this before, but it makes sense. The Fae are an entirely different species than humans; their lives are so different from humans' lives, and they don't have the same sense of justice as humans.

"I…don't know. I guess there are just some really horrible people in the world," I say.

"Yes, and wouldn't you want a child in that environment to be taken somewhere where they will be completely appreciated and loved?"

"But you said Toby would become one of you forever. I thought that meant you…"

"…would turn him into a goblin?" He smirked, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "No. The children become Fae eventually, and they go to live with Fae who desperately want a child. Their physical form does not change."

I sit back and think about everything he's just told me.

"And I was just a spoiled girl who thoughtlessly wished my little brother away. I'm sorry, Jareth. I really am."

He looks at me with a surprised expression before shaking his head.

"That's behind us now. But this is far too serious a discussion for tonight I think, Sarah. We seem to be in a drinking establishment. Come, let me buy you a drink."

I bite my lip, thinking about his offer.

"Are you sure you should drink any more?"

He laughs and stands up, wobbling a bit before righting himself.

"I'm perfectly fine. I'll be right back."

He makes his way to the bar, and I watch him go with a sigh. This is going…differently than I expected. Of course I _never _thought I'd see the goblin king drunk. Why is he drunk in the first place? Is it because of me? Because I left him earlier? Oh no. If this is what he's like because I ran out on him today, I don't even want to think about what he was like when I turned him down seven years ago.

It doesn't take him long to come back, and he sets a drink on the table for me before sitting back down across from me. I pick up the drink and look at it warily.

"What is this?"

"Honey bourbon," he replies

I frown and take a small sip of the drink, a little smile coming to my lips before I take another.

"It's good. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now tell me, Sarah. Did you call me back because of what I told you today?"

I set the drink down and nod.

"Yes. I'm sorry I ran away. It was just a very big revelation, and I wasn't sure how to handle it."

He gives me a mischievous smile and takes a large swig of his drink.

"How fascinating. I never thought I'd hear an apology from you, let alone two in one night. Perhaps I'm dreaming," he teases.

I roll my eyes at him, and he chuckles lightly.

"Don't push your luck, goblin king," I say wryly.

"Very well," He says as he stands up and offers me his hand. "Let's dance instead."

I eye his hand warily and shake my head.

"I'm not finished with my drink."

"No one will touch it. I'll make certain of that. Come now, surely the girl who solved my labyrinth isn't afraid of a dance."

I narrow my eyes at him but smile and stand up, taking his offered hand.

"Fine. Just one."

He laughs and drags me out onto the floor as a slow song suddenly begins to play. I realize it's David Bowie's version of "Wild is the Wind," and I smile; I love this song, and I've always had a thing for Bowie. He's just so gorgeous. Jareth pulls me into his arms, and I almost shiver feeling his hand on my waist. I've only been this close to him one other time, and despite the change of scenery, I suddenly feel like I've gone back in time to that moment. The way he's looking at me doesn't help either. He leans in to say something to me, and this time I really do shiver as I feel his breath against my ear.

"You do look beautiful tonight, Sarah." I bite my lip and feel a blush come to my cheeks. God, what is happening to me?

"Thank you," I reply quietly.

Despite the fact that he's drunk, Jareth seems steady on his feet as he leads me around the room. A few other people have joined us on the dance floor, but I'm not really paying much attention to anyone else. This is so strange, it almost doesn't feel real. When this night began, I never expected it to be like this, yet here I am dancing with the goblin king.

I really haven't had much to drink, but my head feels kind of fuzzy. I frown, worried that it could be something he's doing.

"Jareth, are you using magic on me right now?"

He pulls away slightly to look at me.

"I'm doing nothing," he says.

A thought finds its way to the front of my mind; he could be lying. What if he's been manipulating me the entire night? How do I know I can trust him?

His lips have turned down in a frown, and despite the song not being over, he pulls away from me, making his way back to the table. I follow, and when I take a seat across from him, I notice that his glass is full again. He picks it up and downs the entire drink at once.

I've offended him.

"Jareth, I'm…"

"…what…," he interrupts me. "…do I have to do to make you see that I mean you absolutely no harm?"

I shake my head and begin to speak, but he cuts me off again.

"What can I do to make you trust me?" His glass is somehow full again, and once again, he tips his head back and drinks the entire thing before filling it again.

"Jareth, please be careful. You're already drunk. You don't…"

"How sweet of you to care," he says wryly, his words slurring together more than they had been before. I bite my bottom lip, not sure what to do.

"Um…let's take a walk, Jareth." He looks at me with narrowed eyes, and I add, "Please?"

His expression softens slightly, and he stands and walks with me (well, wobbles, really) out of the bar. Without really thinking, I begin leading him towards my apartment.

"Sarah, I just want you to love me," he says, and I swear, if I had a drink at this moment, I would have choked on it at his bluntness.

"Maybe we should talk about this when you haven't been drinking alcohol like a camel drinks water," I say. Luckily, my apartment is close to the bar I chose, so it doesn't take us long to get there.

"Can you make it up the stairs?" I ask him.

"Of course…" he answers matter-of-factly before beginning up the steps and swaying slightly. I follow closely behind him, though if he falls, we'll probably both go tumbling down. I lead Jareth as quietly as possible to my bedroom and help him into my bed, where he collapses without another word.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I watch him while he sleeps. How exactly did this happen? When I imagined how this evening might go, I never thought the king of the goblins would end up in my bed at the end of the night. Oh, if that isn't an interesting thought. I shake my head and decide right now is not the time to think about everything. After changing into my pajamas, I lie down on my blue papasan chair in the corner of the room and fall asleep almost as fast as Jareth did.


End file.
